Perforating apparatus for tubing



March 17, 1964 H. J. MAY

PERFORATING APPARATUS FOR TUBING MIG CICILICL United States Patent 3,125,149 PERFORATING APPARATUS FUR TUBING Harry J. May, Lombard, IlL, assignor to Vogel Tool & Die Corporation, Melrose Park, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Aug. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 134,351

. Claims. (Cl. 153-2) This invention relates to an improvement in a perforating or piercing apparatus for tubular members. More specifically it relates to an improved apparatus for piercing holes in tubular members.

It is a prime Object of this invention to provide an improved perforating tool or apparatus for piercing holes the said apparatus not requiring the utilization of an internal mandrel for supporting the tube during the perforating operation.

A still further object is to provide an improved perforating apparatus for piercing holes through tubing the said device being of a simplified structure whereby the tube may be pierced without the final product being in any manner whatsoever crushed or formed out-of-round.

A still further object is to provide a mandrel free perforating apparatus for piercing holes through tubing the said apparatus including novel means for reshaping the tube immediately after the piercing of the same so that the final product will be reshaped to its round condition despite deformation which may occur during the piercing operation.

A still further object is to provide an improved simplified hole piercing punch and die, wherein the punch includes a perforator for piercing the holes, the said punch also having a reshaping cavity or recess adapted to fit over the tube which may be slightly deformed during the piercing operation and which thereafter immediately reshapes the tube to its original round condition.

These and further objects will become more apparent from a reading of the description when examined in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a piercing and perforating apparatus for tubing;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view showing a piercing apparatus with a perforating punch in the process of perforating holes in a tube;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the final piercing operation of a perforating punch;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view showing an end of a tube having holes pierced therein by the apparatus shown in the above figures,

Referring now particularly to FIGURES 1 to 4 a piercing or perforating apparatus is generally designated by the reference character 10. The piercing apparatus 10 comprises a C-shaped base 11 having a lower plate-n 12 and an upper punch guide member 13. The upper punch guide member .13 and the lower platen 12 are suitably separated by means of a space 14. A die 15 of suitable hardened steel is disposed in a semi-cylindrical recess 16. The die 15 is provided with a semi-cylindrical horizontally extending seat or cavity 17 and a threaded bore 18 in the lower platen 12 contains a set screw 19 which looks the die 15 within the recess 1-6. The die is also provided with a centrally disposed bore 20 forming with its upper end in the cavity 17 an annular cutting edge 21. The bore 20 is in communication with a slug discharge bore 22 opening outwardly in a cut-out opening 23 in the lower end of the platen 12.

The upper punch guide \13 is provided with a vertically extending bore 24 opened at its upper and lower ends. A punch holder 25 is mounted for sliding reciprocation within the vertical bore 24. The punch holder 25 is provided at its lower end with a reshaping end or semi-cylindrical arcu-ate recessed wall 26. A piercing punch 27 is secured within a central bore 28 provided in the punch holder 25. The piercing punch 27 is held in the bore 28 by means of a set screw 29. The piercing punch 27 is provided at its lower end with a cutting edge 30.

.The upper punch guide 13 is provided with laterally spaced parallel closed-end bores 31 which serve as spring seats for supporting springs 32. A horizontally extending plate 33 is also provided with closed-end bores 34 serving as spring seats for the upper ends of the springs 32. Screws 35 are slidable in bores 36 of the punch guide 13. The screws 35 are suit-ably threaded into the plate 33 as indicated at 37. {The upper end of the punch holder 25 is provided with a reduced diameter extension 38 which is disposed in a bore 39 in the plate 33. A screw 40 threaded into a bore 41 is also threaded into the punch holder 25 to securely hold the same to the said plate 33.

A tube, which may consist of any suitable metal or other material, is designated at 42, and as shown in FIG- URE 3 the upper half of the tube is relatively unsupported as indicated at 43 projecting into the space 14. Pierced openings 44 are indicated in FIGURE 6 on the tube 42.

The tube 42, during the operation, is merely placed into the cavity or seat 17 of the die 15 whereby the unsupported portion 43 projects upwardly into the space 14. The die 15 may be easily changed by simply loosening the set screw 19 and thus different dies may be quickly inserted for accommodating different diameter tubing. The cavity 17 conforms to the lower portion of the tube as indicated. The unit is placed in a punch press (not shown) or other suitable power device may be utilized which will exert a downward pressure on the plate 33 moving the punch holder 25 downwardly whereby the punch 27 cuts through the upper wall of the tube 42 as shown in FIGURE 3 and upon further downward movement cuts through the lower wall as shown in FIGURE 4. During this piercing operation the cutting edge 30 of the punch 27 thus initially cuts through the upper wall portion which is unsupported, thus slightly deforming the tube as shown in FIGURE 3. Also it is likely that during this perforating operation that a slight dimple is provided around the upper hole 44. The punch 27 then continues its downward travel until the cutting edge 30 then is forced through the lower wall of the tube the cutting being accomplished by the cutting edge 30 and the cutting edge 21.

As shown in FIGURE 4, immediately after the perforation is completed the punch holder 25 moves downwardly so that the reshaping portion or end 26, which conforms to the unsupported pre-pierced upper shape of the tube, now engages the tube to reshape the same or reform the same into its pro-perforating condition whereupon it is placed back into an in-round condition.

Thus it is clear that since the upper end of the tube is unsupported during the initial cutting action of the punch, slight deformation or ovality will occur in the tube. Since the bottom wall of the tube is, of course, supported within the lower die cavity, no distortion takes place after the initial hole-piercing operation. Immediately after the lower wall is pierced the reshaping end of the punch thus reforms or reshapes the tube to its proper round condition. This is, of course, accomplished since the ovality is removed as the sides of the cavity engage the now slightly deformed wall and by continued downward movement causes the tube again to assume its original round condition.

Thus it is clear that it is unnecessary to provide a mandrel since the tube is immediately reshaped after the piercing operation. Thus a mandrel is not necessary and a much more simplified tool is provided which will create the desired results. 7

It is believed that the objects of the invention have been clearly achieved. It must be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as disclosed or from the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A piercing apparatus for piercing holes in a tube comprising a C-shaped base having a lower platen and an upper punch guide disposed above said platen to provide a space therebetween, a tube support on said platen including a die having a transversely extending semi-cylindrical cavity adapted to support a lower side of a tube with an upper side of said tube projecting upwardly into said space in unsupported relation, said "die having a central vertical bore providing in said cavity a cylindrical cutting edge, said punch guide having a vertical bore open at its upper and lower ends, said bore having its vertical axis coincident with the vertical axis of said central bore, a punch holder slidably disposed in said bore, said punch holder having a reshaping lower end comprising a recess defining a semi-cylindrical wall conforming generally to the upper side of a tube which projects into said space prior to a piercing operation, a piercing punch removably connected to said lower end and projecting centrally through said recess below said end, a plate disposed above said punch guide, means connecting said plate to said punch holder, said plate and punch holder being movable downwardly whereby said piercing punch initially pierces the upper side of said tube and extends into said central bore to then pierce the lower side of said tube and said semi-cylindrical wall then engages said projecting side of said tube to reshape said projecting side to remove any deformation.

2. A piercing apparatus for piercing holes in a tube comprising a base having a lower platen and an upper punch guide disposed above said platen to provide a space therebetween, a tube support on said platen including a die having a transversely extending semi-cylindrical cavity adapted to support a lower side of a tube with an upper side of said tube projecting upwardly into said space in unsupported relation, said die having a central vertical bore providing in said cavity a cylindrical cutting edge, said punch guide having a vertical bore open at its upper and lower ends, said bore having its vertical axis coincident with the vertical axis of said central bore, a punch holder slidably disposed in said bore, said punch holder having a reshaping lower end comprising a recess defining a semi-cylindrical wall conforming generally to the upper side of a tube which projects into said space prior to a piercing operation, a piercing punch removably connected to said lower end and projecting centrally through said recess below said end, means for moving said punch holder downwardly whereby said piercing punch initially pierces the upper side of said tube and extends into said central bore to then pierce the lower side of said tube and said semi-cylindrical wall then engages said projecting side of said tube to reshape said projecting side to remove any deformation.

3. A piercing apparatus for piercing holes in a tube comprising a base having a lower platen and an upper punch guide disposed above said platen to provide a space therebetween, a tube support on said platen including a die having a transversely extending semi-cylindrical cavity adapted to support a lower side of a tube with an upper side of said tube projecting upwardly into said space in unsupported relation, said die having a central vertical bore providing in said cavity a cylindrical cutting edge, said punch guide having a vertical bore open at its upper and lower ends, said bore having its vertical axis coincident with the vertical axis of said central bore, a punch holder slidably disposed in said bore, said punch holder having a reshaping lower end comprising a recess defining a semi-cylindrical wall conforming generally to the upper side of a tube which projects into said space prior to a piercing operation, a piercing punch connected to said lower end and projecting centrally through said recess below said end, means for moving said punch holder downwardly whereby said piercing punch initially pierces the upper side of said tube and extends into said central bore to then pierce the lower side of said tube and said semi-cylindrical wall then engages said projecting side of said tube to reshape said projecting side to remove any deformation.

4. A piercing apparatus for piercing holes in a tube comprising a base having a lower platen and an upper punch guide disposed above said platen to provide a space therebetween, a tube support on said platen including a die having a transversely extending cavity adapted to support a lower side of a tube with an upper side of said tube projecting upwardly into said space in unsupported relation, said die having a central vertical bore providing in said cavity a cylindricalcutting edge, said punch guide having a vertical bore open at its upper and lower ends, said bore having its vertical axis coincident with the vertical axis of said central bore, a punch holder slidably disposed in said bore, said punch holder having a reshaping lower end comprising a recess defining a wall conforming generally to the upper side of a tube which projects into said space prior to a piercing operation, a piercing punch connected to said lower end and projecting centrally through said recess below said end, means for moving said punch holder downwardly whereby said piercing punch initially pierces the upper side of said tube and extends into said central bore to then pierce the lower side of said tube and said wall then engages said projecting side of said tube to reshape said projecting side to remove any deformation.

5. A piercing apparatus for piercing holes in a tube comprising a base having a lower platen and an upper punch guide disposed above said platen to provide a space therebetween, a tube support on said platen including a die having a transversely extending cavity adapted to support a lower side ofa tube with an upper side of said tube projecting upwardly into said space in unsupported relation, said die having a central vertical bore providing insaid cavity a cylindrical cutting edge, said punch guide having a vertical bore open at its upper and lower ends, said bore having its vertical axis coincident with the vertical axis of said central bore, a punch holder slidably disposed in said bore, said punch holder having a reshaping lower end comprising a recess defining a wall conforming generallyto the upper side of a tube which projects into said space prior to apiercing operation, a piercing punch connected .to said lower end and projecting centrally through said recess below said end, means for moving said punch holder downwardly whereby said piercing punch initially pierces the upper side of said tube and extends into said central bore and said wall then engages said projecting side of said tube to reshape said projecting side to remove any deformation.

Murray Nov. 26, 1918 Fogle et al July 11, 1961 

1. A PIERCING APPARATUS FOR PIERCING HOLES IN A TUBE COMPRISING A C-SHAPED BASE HAVING A LOWER PLATEN AND AN UPPER PUNCH GUIDE DISPOSED ABOVE SAID PLATEN TO PROVIDE A SPACE THEREBETWEEN, A TUBE SUPPORT ON SAID PLATEN INCLUDING A DIE HAVING A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SEMI-CYLINDRICAL CAVITY ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A LOWER SIDE OF A TUBE WITH AN UPPER SIDE OF SAID TUBE PROJECTING UPWARDLY INTO SAID SPACE IN UNSUPPORTED RELATION, SAID DIE HAVING A CENTRAL VERTICAL BORE PROVIDING IN SAID CAVITY A CYLINDRICAL CUTTING EDGE, SAID PUNCH GUIDE HAVING A VERTICAL BORE OPEN AT ITS UPPER AND LOWER ENDS, SAID BORE HAVING ITS VERTICAL AXIS COINCIDENT WITH THE VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID CENTRAL BORE, A PUNCH HOLDER SLIDABLY DISPOSED IN SAID BORE, SAID PUNCH HOLDER HAVING A RESHAPING LOWER END COMPRISING A RECESS DEFINING A SEMI-CYLINDRICAL WALL CONFORMING GENERALLY TO THE UPPER SIDE OF A TUBE WHICH PROJECTS INTO SAID SPACE PRIOR TO A PIERCING OPERATION, A PIERCING PUNCH REMOVABLY CONNECTED TO SAID LOWER END AND PROJECTING CENTRALLY THROUGH SAID RECESS BELOW SAID END, A PLATE DISPOSED ABOVE SAID PUNCH GUIDE, MEANS CONNECTING SAID PLATE TO SAID PUNCH HOLDER, SAID PLATE AND PUNCH HOLDER BEING MOVABLE DOWNWARDLY WHEREBY SAID PIERCING PUNCH INITIALLY PIERCES THE UPPER SIDE OF SAID TUBE AND EXTENDS INTO SAID CENTRAL BORE TO THEN PIERCE THE LOWER SIDE OF SAID TUBE AND SAID SEMI-CYLINDRICAL WALL THEN ENGAGES SAID PROJECTING SIDE OF SAID TUBE TO RESHAPE SAID PROJECTING SIDE TO REMOVE ANY DEFORMATION. 